Gasoline gauge



Oct. 20, 1925. MST/,568

J. V. DILLEY GASOLINE GAUGE Filed oct. 14. i922 Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES V. DILLEY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

GASOLINE GAUGE.

Application filed October 14, 1922. Serial ]\1'o. 5911,46 1'l reading of the fuel level in the tank when.

the car is tilted, i. e., when one side of the car is lower than the other side which causes the tank to be lower at one end than at the other.

Different conditions. arise due to the construction or shape ofthe tank and to the location of the gauge. The method generally in use today is to have a gauge located in the center portion of the tank which will give fairly accurate readings but only on a square tank. But the square tank is not universally used and on most cars the tank is round or oval in cross-section. IVhcn the fuel tank is tilted, the liquid of course will be higher at one end of the tank than at the other end.

First consider a square tank of a 10 gal. capacity for example, assume that one end is lowerthan the other end. The level at the center will remain the same between the limits approximately of 11/2 gal. to 81/2 gal. or until the liquid level touches the. bottom or top of the tank at one end. An ordinary gauge, consisting of a float attached to an indicator, positioned in the center of the tank, will therefore give an accurate reading between thelimits ofllgal. to 8% gal. But if the ordinary gauge were placed at either end it would be inaccurate because the liquid level does not remain the `same at the ends of the tank when tilted.

In the. round o-r oval tanks there is only one time when the level does not change in the center when the tank is tilted and that is when the tank contains exactly five gallons or is half full. At all* other levels, a change in level at the center takes place when the tank is tilted thus resulting in an inaccurate reading on the gauge'. At the ends the level changes similarly as in a square tank, but it is not a constant change due to the round or oval shape of the tank.

The Vobject of this invention is to correct this error, and is especially adapted for use on a. round or oval tank but it will work equally well on a square tank. Besides, applicants gauge can be located at or near the ends of' the tank and can accurately measure the contents when the car is tilted. The almost universal practice of carrying a spare wheel and tire on the rear makes it diiicult to read a gauge located in the center, and especially so when the car is equipped with wire or disc wheels. It is preferable therefore to locate the gauge at one end of the tank. Practically the only time when one reads the gauge is when the car is drawn up to the curb at a filling station and due to the slope of the street one side of the car is lower than the other and a gauge near the end of the tank will show a' considerable error. The present invention therefore has a more universal use and as will appear from the following specification, the error is'rectiied accurately in so-me cases and in other cases the error yis approximately cor rected. In general a more accurate reading at all times is obtainable with this invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a fuel tank showing the level indicating means in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a section on ,the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line- 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a 'section on the line 5-5 of Fig.

2 showing how the bearing plate is securedl to the gauge container. l

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. v

Fig. 7 is a plan o-f aportion of the tape used in a roundor oval tank.

A fuel tank a which can be either, square, round or oval in cross section is provided near one-end with an opening in the top, and threaded into this opening is a cap b carrying a pair of wings c 'for screwing v the gauge in place. which is open atits lower end is pressed into the' cap c and projects downwardly into the fuel tank to near the bottom. The cap has shoulders e on which a bearing plate f rests. A glass g is secured inthe top of the cap similarly to the way a lens is secured in a headlight and held in place by a spring Wire ring h. The casing cl carries A sleeve or casing al a pair of lip; 'i (see Fig." 5') I1to which the bearing pla f is f-seouredalyy moans oi- Serewsrk'.

The bearing plate f is provided with al. opening or slot m. Supported on theunderside of the bearing'pl'ate "is 'a`stationafy shaft n rotatably supportinga take llproller vles' in the bracket and end loti'anin'thevweight.

o which. projects thru the slot m and is provided with the usual take'uplspring prone end of which is secured tothe stationary shafft and :the other :end @to the I rroller.- u A tape'q is secured ltfonezendsto y'the Froller anidpasses over an yidler roller 1' :whh :proeets" thru the slot m,and'tl1enee downwardyrthrourgh''saidfs'et'fm into-the casing id :mil a ifloat-e1is=secured 'to-@the -other fend -ofutrhe tape. When the 'fuel :lever ais lowered; "fthe weight; loff 'the :lioat is --suioient i to funwind the' roller: and :when the 'fuel level fis 'raised the takefup rollerztazkes-upfthe slack finitlxe mittlerem-:kris ripped-amnesia@ .fer the other the pivoted pointer .n due tto-therrelative movement o the weight which is in reality a plumb bob, anllfthe" more' `the )tank l iis rtipped )the further' fthe pointer y will move to one side or theetlter.

and in F1g.'7 atape calibrated for a-rouid oriov'al tank suhown. Thisftapm'eanfhave the linear saale Hman-leed G'theneon on one ed e and the .fefllbrateli impaeityround oroval tank the markings are doser end, which .'willeausei the ful11everfat2that end to be higher 'than `when f the'itank 'was notlftilted. The float fwll'frise 'andtheftape will fwindjup on 'the takemp ilroller, so freferring" to. Fig, 12; thetapejmrill fmover to the light which wold fnonnally .'-indicatethat ege :nas more Jgasoline in 'his-tank than will reekf really exists.I But when the tank is tiltedthe: .orrerwgctiertcomee into play and the y .vill :also mvmto thelrlg'litfrom its normal position. This error rectifier can be s o ad'usted by means of -the positioning of etten ell portlontof the pointer y in the slet-m in the weight that it --will move the .correct distance thereby correcting the error sand 'giving fan exaet needing. VThe correct reading is noted by the pointer.

In a square tankthis error lremains constmt Tfor cettainfangles offinclinationoffthe tattilil between vthe'limits :of 1l/2 .'gal. Y'to `81g gael.` fand ianf emeuratefcorrection'ofr the :error cnflbe'fmade; "In arround-nrfovaltank'the errorvdue'itoeeei-tainlinlinationsfof,thetank doesl noti-'rern'ainfeonstant,- 'The'errer recti- 'eriiszadjneted to (need-:correctly when half fsull. v[The :pointerry wilhalways move-fthe same fdistance'`for the esame indlinat-ion fof 'the .tank-no -nmatter 'what ithe fleyel of :the fuel .in fthe '.ftaiik. New ywhen fthe :level of theifuelf'in.' the .tanlcisiaround 21mm-8l or 7 for 8 gallons, as f indicated on the tape, and the tank is `tilted-Jto such: an @inclination l that. an error is .present r-.inthe rrewding of the tape, the .tape willlmofve furtherrthan itrdid when haffl-'fxill'irwith the .same rerrowpresent. As tlnetnavel ofzth'e errorareetiierr remains. constant, 'it Iis obvious thfat theferror-'wilL only be partially =eorrented. Alt the -:extreme limits A'of' 1%2 fgallons and91/2 gallons theftape will I.more aboutr t'wieeias arsasvthe pointer y. rVlith sa slight "inclination [this error :bis smallJandLbheierrorxrectilier outs 'it intof half at the extreme limits. In between .1theeX- treme'llimits, the freetifier approximates a eorrecfreadixrg. Iltis: no doubtr obw'iiousithat an 1 approximate correction is better 'than nime andina-der; mostf-centlitionsf-a l fairly Aiaccumtew'eadng. mntbe made,in:a squareftank between S11/2 falidrS/zzgallons |amid' in: a'round or-evalttank whm "approximately `:half full an Verrant readingfeanrbe made. @It 1 is thus seenthatfthis inventiontwill-accurately 'correctffthe reading: under f'some condition-s .Y and will measurefwithmnlyialslig'ht error-argood portio'n ofrthetimeaandionly atfthefextreme limitslunderfextreme-conditions will 'the de viee notread .accurately the uel :level for .only about 5% of thetime. nlivennunklen extreme rconditions fthe ferrer fis .half felixninetted rsofia morezamcurace reading: of thefuel level is obtaineil'fnniler: all :conditions lW'hatlI'elaismeis: v '1. The #combina/tion with Ja liquid fuel tank offuleontrolled: means ffor': indicating the yfuel flevel 1 in'the tank, :said l means .-'n'ormallyrgivin-gnan erroneous"find-ication :when

theftank is' tilted vin oneiplanegaard lgravityeontrlled .means coli-operating -wvich =said first-named meaus :for faubomatieall lrectifyinge the i' indieationstthereof -fwlrrenf t' 4- er tank isf tilted .las-specified.

y The 'combination with `a liquid fuel tank of a bearngmember mounted thereon,

an indicating ta e, a float to rest on the fuel and attache to one end of the tape, a roller carried by the bearing member and to which the other end of the tape` is attached, means whereby the roller is actuated to take up slack in the tape, a pointer pivotally supported by the bearing member so as to swing along the tape and gravity controlled means for so positioning tlie pointer with reference to the tape that the pointer Willindicate on the tape the correct reading of the fuel level Adespite the inclination of the tank in the plane of movementy of the pointer.

3. The combination With a liquid fuel tank, of fuel-controlled means for measuring the fuel level in the tank,isaid means including a movable indicating member, a pivotally-supported error-rectifying pointer co-opera-ting with the indicating member, and gravity-controlled means for so posivtioning the pointer that it will point to the correct reading of the indicating means despite inclination of the tank in the plane of movement of the pointer.

4. The combination with a liquid fuel tank of movable lfuel-level indicating means carried by the tank, fuel controlled means for actuating the indicating means, a pivotederror-rec'tifying .pointer adapted for co-operation With the fuel-level indicating means, a plumb-bob Weight pivotally suspended in the tank and so connected with the pointer as to move the latter with reference to the indicating means when the tank is inclined in the plane of movement of the pointer that the pointer will be caused to indicate on said means the correct reading of the fuel level despite the inclination of the tank.

In testimony-whereof I aliix my signature.

JAMES v. DILLEY. 

